NOT GOING TO SCHOOL has never been a choice for her. There's only a handful of times when she's missed school and each time was because she was sick. But this morning, when her father told her that she could stay home if she wanted to, Pearl didn't think about it too much before saying yes, which is why now, she's cuddled up on the large couch of the TV room, a book in hands surrounded by nothing but silence, since her father's already at work.
Only, occasionally, her phone buzzes whenever a new message arrives. The last time she checked, there were three messages from Violet, three from Mack, two from Lana, and five from her brother. And even after someone she cared about passed away, even when her family and friends show they care with messages and calls, the fact that Heath didn't try
